A sequel to the 1996 sci-fi blockbuster Independence Day has long been in the planning stages, and as it stands now, we will be getting two back-to-back follow-ups with ID Forever - Part 1 and ID Forever - Part 2, the first of which, as far as we can tell, is still being planned for a 2015 release. Though, that may change, pushing the release date of that first chapter to 2016.

In June, while out promoting his latest thriller White House Down, director Roland Emmerich revealed original cast member Will Smith was not returning, saying that the actor was too big of a star, and that they could not meet the actor's demands.

"Will Smith can not come back because he's too expensive, but he'd also be too much of a marquee name. It would be too much. We have like maybe half of the people that you know from the first film (in the script) and the other half of the people who are new."

The director is out once again, now promoting White House Down in foreign markets, and it seems he's changed his tune on Will Smith returning to the franchise, claiming that the actor now wants to come back and that talks are being planned. This is what he had to say to Digital Spy.

"I sometimes say no, Will Smith will not be in it because he didn't want to do it at first. Now we have a meeting planned, we want to talk about it again. Anything can happen."

The director went onto talk about the challenges of putting ID Forever - Part 1 and ID Forever - Part 2 together, revealing that while a 2015 release date was announced, we might not see these sequels until 2016.

"It is changing every month, because putting together a sequel of this magnitude is an enormous undertaking. I am sure we will make it, either for 2015, or 16. Right now, as it looks...Probably 16."

In the weeks leading up to the release of Will Smith's doomed flop After Earth, the actor had this to say about returning to star in another blockbuster.

"I think I'm going to start moving out of that and finding more danger in my artistic choices."

Made for $130 million, After Earth was a domestic disaster, bringing in only $60.5 million at the box office. It has since gone onto earn $183 in foreign territories, for a total of $243 million worldwide. Not a total loss, but it certainly tarnished Will Smith's name as the king of the summer blockbuster. It's possible that he now wants to return for ID Forever - Part 1 and ID Forever - Part 2 to restore some of that former glory. It's also possible that after he failed to open this sci-fi stinker, his asking price has been lowered.

Will Will Smith return to claim his crown as the King of summer? Or are his 90s glory days a thing of the past? Do any of you even care about a sequel to Independence Day twenty years after the fact? Should this just be a reboot? Let us know what you think.

Independence Day was released July 3rd, 1996 and stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich.

20th Century Fox has issued a fitting July 3, 2015 release to the Independence Day sequel, currently titled ID Forever - Part 1. No date has been given for ID Forever - Part 2, but it would seem likely that this will be released on the same weekend in either 2016 or 2017.

In addition, 20th Century Fox has shuffled release dates for some of its biggest titles next year. X-Men: Days of Future Past is swapping release dates with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, with X-Men: Days of Future Past now set for a May 23, 2014 release, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes bumped later into the summer on July 18, 2014. X-Men: Days of Future Past will now square off against the Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore comedy Blended, while Dawn of the Planet of the Apes will go up against Planes: Fire & Rescue.

Finally, Assassin's Creed starring Michael Fassbender has been slated with a June 19, 2015 release date, where it will go up against Inside Out.

Independence Day was released July 3rd, 1996 and stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich.

"The humans knew that one day the aliens would come back. And they know that the only way you can really travel in space is through wormholes. So for the aliens, it could take two or three weeks, but for us that's 20 or 25 years."

Roland Emmerich wrote the screenplays for both ID Forever - Part 1 and ID Forever - Part 2, with his White House Down writer James Vanderbilt currently performing a rewrite. The director also said that the humans have embraced the alien technology in the years following the initial attack.

"It's a changed world. It's like parallel history. [Humans] have harnessed all this alien technology. We don't know how to duplicate it because it's organically-grown technology, but we know how to take an antigravity device and put it in a human airplane."

Independence Day star Bill Pullman is on board for both movies, although Will Smith has not been confirmed quite yet. The filmmaker revealed this story will focus on a new generation of heroes, including the stepson of Will Smith's character, played by Ross Bagley in the original.

"It's still some of the same characters, but also new younger characters; it's a little bit like the sons take over. The first one ends on a little success, but only enough to give the humans hope. And then in the second one they free themselves again [from the aliens]."

When asked what is left for the aliens to destroy in the sequels, the director gave a cryptic response.

"We've rebuilt. But [the aliens] also do different things."

Independence Day was released July 3rd, 1996 and stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich.

Roland Emmerich's apocalyptic sci-fi film starred Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum and Randy Quaid. The story followed Captain Steven Hiller as he battled invading space aliens. The film brought in over $800 million worldwide.

Fox still has plans to release sequels to the film titled ID Forever - Part 1 and ID Forever - Part 2. No production schedule has been released for the films.

Independence Day was released July 3rd, 1996 and stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich.

Back in July, we reported that Independence Day 2 and Independence Day 3 are moving forward, with Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin working on the screenplay. Dean Devlin revealed in a recent interview that the sequels will now be called ID Forever - Part 1 and ID Forever - Part 2. He also revealed that the sequels are being planned for a 3D conversion. Here's an excerpt from the article, translated from its original German text, that reveals these follow-ups are still a long ways off.

"However, this is still a long way, and finally, there also is a tough battle between the studio and the actors. But you have a right idea, which was quite unique, and it is therefore worth it to keep trying. The two sequels are not used individually, therefore, but a package."

In a separate interview, Dean Devlin revealed he recently rewatched the original Independence Day, and said he is focusing on the overwhelming amount of love that went into making the first movie.

"Roland and I sat down and watched the original. It's a different experience on television! The thing that really hit me about the movie is how much love there is in it: between the characters; that the filmmakers had making it; that the cast had for each other. As we're approaching a sequel we're focusing on that aspect of it. Because I think that was really the key as to why it worked for everyone. It was lovable."

While it may be quite some time before these sequels hit theaters, the original Independence Day will be re-released in 3D July 3, 2013.

ID Forever - Part 2 is in development and stars Will Smith. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich.

Independence Day was released July 3rd, 1996 and stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich.

Twentieth Century Fox announced today some major additions to its 2013-14 release slate, along with some date changes.

On the heels of the $344 million worldwide success of Titanic 3D, the studio and director Roland Emmerich, in conjunction with Stereo 3D, which did the work on Titanic, will produce a top quality 3D version of the iconic Independence Day. ID43D will be released worldwide on July 3, 2013.

The studio also staked its 2014 summer with three giant tentpoles. First up, Fox, together with Disney and Dreamworks, has shifted the release of Steven Spielberg's epic Robopocalypse to go worldwide on April 25, 2014, the same weekend that Marvel's The Avengers was released internationally this year. Disney distributes domestically. (ID43D now occupies its former release date.)

Then on Memorial Day (May 23, 2014), Fox unleashes Dawn of the Planet of the Apes worldwide, the sequel to the $483 million grossing Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Rupert Wyatt, who helmed the 2011 smash, returns to direct. The returning producers are Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.

And on July 18, 2014, Fox releases worldwide the third of its summer tentpoles, the currently untitled X-Men: First Class Sequel, to be directed by Matthew Vaughn.

Fox also announced its Christmas 2013 line-up, with The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, starring Ben Stiller and Kristen Wiig, and directed by Ben Stiller, set for Christmas Day. Samuel Goldwyn, John Goldwyn, Stuart Cornfeld and Ben Stiller produce the film.

Also for Christmas, the studio will shift Walking with Dinosaurs 3D from October 11 to December 20, 2013. The film is based on the massively successful TV series and live show, which has grossed more than $250 million in box office worldwide.

‪‪

‪‪Other 2013 dates include the following: Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, based on Rick Riordan's publishing phenomenon, goes out August 16, 2013, moving from March 15. And Fox earlier announced that Beyoncé Knowles would headline the voice cast of Epic, in theaters May 24, 2013, from the makers of Ice Age and Rio. The film was previously known as Leafmen. Also joining the cast are Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Knoxville, Aziz Ansari, Jason Sudeikis, Steven Tyler, Blake Anderson and Judah Friedlander. ‪‪

Lastly, an as-yet-Untitled Comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) will land in theaters April 5, 2013.

Independence Day was released July 3rd, 1996 and stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich.

Back in November of 2009, we reported that director Roland Emmerich is planning back-to-back sequels for the 1996 blockbuster Independence Day. It seems that plan is still intact, with screenwriter Dean Devlin said to be delivering both screenplays for Independence Day 2 and Independence Day 3 by mid-December. However, Will Smith may not return to star in these sequels.

Will Smith has reportedly asked for $50 million to shoot both sequels back-to-back, which Fox declined. Nothing is official yet, since negotiations were halted to focus on the scripts, but it seems Fox is willing to make the sequels without Will Smith.

While specific plot details weren't given, it is said both sequels will tell a single story and are being crafted much like Back to the Future Part II and Back To The Future Part III.

Will Smith does not have his next movie completely locked in yet, which is a positive sign for the Independence Day sequels. We reported in April that the actor will star in M. Night Shyamalan's sci-fi tale One Thousand A.E. with his son, Jaden Smith. However, pre-production is moving very slowly, with Sony taking its time to get the story right before shooting begins.

Independence Day was released July 3rd, 1996 and stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich.

"Dean Devlin and I are still set to make a sequel or sequels, likely because we've found some sort of idea and we approached FOX and FOX has not quite figured out how to incorporate Dean's and my deal, and Will's (Smith) deal. Will wants to do it in some sort of a package they can live with. So it's just been in negations now since forever, and naturally FOX says "Why don't you do it without Will Smith?" I said Will is essential for us, for this movie and actually for the audience too. And, so, it's in limbo and lately the studios are fighting. Like gross players, and Will is a gross player and is probably the only gross player right now who's worth his gross. So we'll see what happens. I would love to do it."

clickHere to read the rest of the article. We'll certainly keep you posted on any news of an Independence Day sequel as soon as more information comes in.

Independence Day was released July 3rd, 1996 and stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich.

While director Roland Emmerich's new film 2012 is set to hit theaters this weekend, the filmmaker revealed he plans to revisit his monstrous 4th of July film, possibly in two new movies. MTV Movies Blog recently spoke with Emmerich who revealed he wants to make two sequels to his 1996 blockbuster Independence Day.

"What we want to do in the next - it's actually two movies - we want to do a bigger arc," he explained. "Independence Day was always like the king who leads his troops into battle against an evil force, and that stays like that."

While there is no script for the projects as of yet, as it's still in the idea phase, Emmerich did suggest a title.

Independence Day was released July 3rd, 1996 and stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich.

In a story from DVD Town, Fox Home Entertainment will be releasing the Blu-ray Disc Version of Independence Day on December 4.

Synopsis

Strange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world's major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived; its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances.

Independence Day was released July 3rd, 1996 and stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich.

Strange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world's major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived; its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances.

Strange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world's major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived; its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances.

cc Disc 1: Includes both the special edition, with 9 minutes of restored footage, plus the original theatrical version of the film Scene specific commentary by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin Commentary by Oscar winning special effects supervisors Volker and Doug Smith Disc Two: Creating Reality 30-minute documentary on the making of ID4 ID4 Invasion 22 minute alien invasion mock-umentary HBO First Look: Independence Day 33-minute feature hosted by Jeff Goldblum Original bi-plane ending sequence Storyboards, original artwork, production stills DVD-ROM game Get Off My Planet Mock News Clips Destruction clip showcase

cc Includes both the Special Edition, with 9 minutes of restored footage, Plus the original theatrical version Scene-specific commentary by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin Commentary by Oscar -Winning special effects Supervisors Volker Engel and Douglas Smith

cc Includes the special edition with nine minutes of restored footage, plus the original theatrical version of the film Scene-specific commentary by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin Commentary by Oscar-winning special effects supervisors Volker Engel and Doug Smith

cc Includes both the special edition, with 9 minutes of restored footage, plus the original theatrical version Anamorphic widescreen (aspect ratio 2.35:1) for both versions Scene-specific commentary by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin Commentary by oscarÂ®-winning special effects supervisors Volker Engel and Doug Smith Sound: English 5.1 Dolby surround, English Dolby surround, French Dolby surround Subtitles: English, Spanish

cc The Day After Tomorrow: Full-length audio commentary by director/co-writer Roland Emmerich and producer Mark Gordon Full-length audio commentary by co-writer Jeffrey Nachmanoff, director of photography Ueli Steiger, editor David Brenner and production designer Barry Chusid Audio Anatomy interactive sound demo Deleted scenes DVD-ROM includes over an hour of exclusive making of footage Independence Day: Includes the special edition, with 9 minutes of restored footage, plus the original theatrical version of the film Scene-specific commentary by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin Commentary by Oscar-winning special effects supervisors Volker Engel and Doug Smith

Includes both the Special Edition, with 9 minutes of restored footage, PLUS the original theatrical version Anamorphic widescreen (aspect ratio 2.35:1) for both versions Scene-specific commentary by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin Commentary by Oscar-Winning special effects supervisors Volker Engel and Doug Smith Sound: English 5.1 Dolby Surround, English Dolby Surround, French Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish